THE ORTSTS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. . Tfie Argus correspondent at Sjdney, writing on AnguBt JVi gives the following account of the rather peculiar circumstances which preceded and wnrompanied the late change of Ministry j» New South Wales :— We have had quite a sensational week m poli'icH. Last week tbe Ministers were defeated on Mr. GarreM .b motion about tbe interpretation of bis Lund Ace. The Ppave undertook to determine a point of law. bar. the real principle 01 interpretation wbb obviously the fear of tbe free selectors, ?'na.jP* giving an unpopular decision. Mr. Garrett has not shone in ''« matter, because bis course has ohviounly not been etraig'''' ward. He passed tbe law avowedly to itive to Crown 'e8Be*'M'5 encouragement to make improvements, and he therefore enameu them to purchase conditionally lands on which they in*«J'?*'1? I' make improvements, giving them 12 months within wD.lcJ! 'Jb make them. Tbe squatters, of course, bfg«i- *o URe this priviieg by picking ont tbe eyes ...

LOS S OF LIFE AT SEA. A sad case of death by drowning at sea is reported, by the ' (barque Chacnoa,. which arrived in this port on August 13 from : Bristol, with the loss of tbe master and one of the crew. Tbe Chacma, in command of Captain Owen Jones, left Bristol on M*j 9. ond bad proceeded on her voyage as far as lat. 38df g. 32 rain. S., and Ion. 7deg. 28min. W., when on July 2 she was overtaken by a very heavy gale from N. veering to N.W. At 4 p ra. on that date the vessel was running nnder reefed moin* topeail and lower foretopsail and foresail, and there wan a tremendous Bea on, which kept filling the decks, and in which she laboured heavily. The gale continued to rag* with hurricane violence, and at half-past 10 pro. Captain Jnnes, who was' exceedingly anxious about, the safety of tbe barque, was on deck, leaning agaiush the rail on the port quarter, with bis arm round the vang for safety. Tbe chief officer at tbe sane time wan ntanding beside the man at, the wheel, and as a ...

SHOOTING AT SEA. Captain George Griffiths, of the Sydney whaling barque Onward, was placed in the dock of tbe City Police Court on July 30 (scares the Hobart Town Mercury), on a charge of shooting John Black, a Bailor, at Bea, on July 4. The evidence disclosed 1 tbat in consequence of insubordination on the part of 12 members of the crew, including the deceased, the captain on tbe 2nd of July had them fasteued down in the forecastle. The flcuttle'was secured by means of the main hatch and a chain. On the date in question the men UHed threatening language, were mntinouit, ana had broken the bulkhead, through which they might have got on deck. The mutineers had cud a small hole for tbe purpose of observing what went on on deck, which the captain, at about 4 o'clock, filled with shavings. The deceased tbeu ascended tbe ladder, and just as he arrived at the top of it the captain discharged an Eotield rifle which be had in bis hands; The bullet penetrated through tbe main hatch, and ente...

THE PAEIS EXHIBITION. We publish tbe folio wing circular of the Victorian commissioners for the information of tbe public :: — . 1. The commissioners appointed under the great seal of the colony of Victoria, for tbe purpose nf caking all such measures as may be necessary to secure the effectual representation of the arts, manufactures, product, scientific inventions, and new discoveries of Victoria iu the International Exhibition to be held at Paris on May 1, 1878, aie prepared to take charge of exhibits under the following regulations : — 2. All intending exhibitors must fill np tbe official form, which will be supplied upon application not later than let October, 1877 3 Exhibits will be earned free by the railways belonging to tbe Government of Victoria, and to tbe Hobaon'a Bay .Railway Company, and by steamer at reduced rates. 4 All goods intended for shipment to Paris mnnt be forwarded to the commissioners' stores not later than the 20 h October. 5 Measures will be taken to gnar...

FANCY BAM. CHARACTERS BEING ' TAKEN.' ; A characteristic incident of attendance at a fancy ball vis' the inevitable visit to the photographer's to be taken. It is not given every day to the ordinary citizen in these humdrum times to figure in attire of classical, or mediaeval, or renaissance periods, and it is very properly felt that when the opportunity comes it is to be made the most of. Above all, the aid of pictorial art is to be called in to fix and perpetuate the otherwise fleeting glories of the transient hour, to remain as a reminiscence of beauty and a joy for ever. This involves a visit to the photographer's, and in view of the diffidence naturally accompanying the feeling of strangeness in an unaccustomed costume these visits are usually made in company. Our engraving exhibits such a group at the studio awaiting their turn before the magio lens. One of the number is, indeed, actually in foous. He is a gallant of the roystering days of the 'Merrie Monarch,' whose memory is...

iCI'^'-.-;.--.-^-.-- ??.......'.' .. lgg%,.-'. .s.;,. ? ;|!h SIR, CHABLES GAVAN DUFFY. We present elsewhere a portrait of Sir C. G. Duffy, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria. Sir Charles Gavan Daffy ia among the moat prominent of Victorian statesmen. A man of culture, of literary ability, aud possessed ot, no. mean powers of eloquence, it would be. strange, indeed, -had he not taken a leading position among, the politicians of a new country. He came to this colony with, a reputation whigh, though attended with Borne disadvantages, marked nV?li\ ou* 'rona tbe crowd of ordinary men, and drew to him, the sympathy and admiration of a large section of tbe 'community. It is, however, with his career as an Australian statesman that we have principally to do, and a brief reference to tbe stirring incidents of . his -iaTlp years,.' for which we are indebted to that useful publication Men of (lie, Time, will suffice. Sir ChaTles Gavau Daffy was born at Monaghan iu 1816. He ia...

The great musical event of the last few weeks has been the opening of a season of Italian opera at the Opera-house on July 28. To the band arid chorus of the Melbourne Opera-house were added the band arid chorus of the Italian opera company whose 'season in Sydney had just closed ; and, in addition to the principals of that company, there came express from Milan a new prima donna, Signora Aritonietta Link, who made her appearance on the first night of the season as Alice in 'Roberto il Diavolo.' The new prima donna has a powerful soprano voice of not very extensive range. It has about it the freshness of youth, and is infused with the tone of true sympathy. Signora Link has an excellent Btage presence, and is a good actress. She soon established the position of an excellent favourite in the liking of the Melbourne public. We quote the following notice, written by ' Andante,' the musical critic of TJie Australasian, of the performance of 'FauBt,' given at the Opera-house on Saturday,...

£ ~^**jj[MF^lj^^l^gjgiga^l3li^|_._( ^^^^^^J /r*1^ ^^^BBflBBj£sKp31^|^g(«3|Esl|=^^gVKi 5 The largest and certainly the most brilliant water-colour drawing which Mr. John Gully has yet. produced is now oh view at Mr. Fletcher's art gallery, Collins-street west. It represents Lake Wakatip, in the province of Otago, the point of view selected being a bold eminence, forming a sort of natural terrace at the south end of .the lake, and constituting one of the finest foregrounds which an artist could desire, while the Bcene itself is simply magnificent, and has inspired' ;Mr; 'Gully to give us a work of art which may be pronounced to be a true poem. The mountain spur upon which the spectator is supposed to be standing, and , which is illuminated by glints of golden light from the rising' sun, is tapestried by the rich vegetation of the country, the i graceful ferns, the cabbage-palm/ the toi-toi, and other1 shrubs ; the beautiful foliage of the white and black birch being conspicuous to V t...

' -' ' L _ ' -,..».. mmj, ...y] At the Theatre Royal, on July 28, Miss Ada Ward and Mr. G. D. Chaplin began an engagement, which nw continued successfully. We extract from the critique oi 'Tahite,' in The Aitstralasian, the notice of their firsc appearance:— 'Miss Ward played Rosalind. When she played it first, some months ago, I spoke of it, as 1 thouguj it deserved, very approvingly ; and as it is now ever e much better than it waa then— good as it was— I speaic cw it accordingly. Indeed, I do not think I should like it to be played differently from the manner in which now saio Ward plays it. I do not quarrel with those who have tneir own views of how it should be played. If you, for example* Bhould like it to be more hoydenish, more kitteny. ram crepitating — very well ; have your hoyden Rosalind, yo kitten Rosalind, your Rosalind -of cdrruscations. I Pre^ J and I think the majority of people prefer, a g®ntJym°S and graceful Rosalind, a Rosalind who glides, who spea*» softly who ...